Thermodynamic Aspects of Cholesterol Effect on Properties of Phospholipid Monolayers: Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayer Study

Cholesterol is an important component of lipid rafts in mammalian cell membranes. Studies of phospholipid monolayers containing cholesterol provide insight into the role of cholesterol in regulating the properties of animal cells, raft stability, and organization. In this contribution, a study of the characteristics of binary Langmuir monolayers consisting of phospholipids, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), 2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) (DPPG), and cholesterol (Chol), was conducted on the basis of the surface pressure-area per molecule (pi-A) isotherms. Analysis of the results obtained provided information on the mean molecular area, the excess Gibbs energy of mixing, and condensation in the monolayer. The mixed monolayers were also deposited onto the mica plates and investigated by the contact angle measurements of water, formamide, and diiodomethane. The contact angles allowed calculating surface free energy of the films from the van Oss et al. approach. It was found that cholesterol determines the molecular packing and ordering of the monolayers closely connected with the kind of phospholipid. This is reflected in the values of surface free energy of the model membranes. From the thermodynamic analysis of phospholipid/cholesterol/liquid interactions, one may draw conclusions about the most favorable composition (stoichiometry) of the binary film which is especially important in view of the lipid rafts formation.